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# Members vs. buyers

Two very different kinds of people use Katalyz. Understanding the difference makes permissions, sharing, and billing a lot clearer.

## Members

A **member** is someone **at your company** with an account in your Katalyz workspace. Members:

- Have a login (via magic link — no password)
- Appear in **Settings → Members**
- Count against your seat quota (billing)
- Have an **org role** that dictates what they can do: **Admin**, **Pro**, or **Basic**
- See a dashboard, can create rooms, manage integrations, etc.

Typical members: you, your teammates, your manager, your admin.

## Buyers

A **buyer** (we also call them **guest buyers** or **visitors**) is someone **outside your company** who receives a link to a room. Buyers:

- **Don't have an account** — they never sign up, never create a password
- **Don't count against your seat quota** — invite as many as you want
- **Don't have a dashboard** — they only ever see the specific room you shared with them
- Access rooms through a **magic link** sent to their email (or via magic code verification)

Typical buyers: your prospect's champion, their procurement contact, their CFO, their legal counsel.

## Why the distinction matters

- **Billing** — you pay per member (seat). Buyers are free and unlimited.
- **Permissions** — members have org roles; buyers only have **room roles** (Viewer or Editor inside a specific room).
- **Security** — buyers are identified per-link, so their activity is tracked accurately without any signup friction.

## Edge cases

**What if someone is technically a buyer at one company and a member at another?**
They'd have two different accounts — one magic-link-only (for the room they were invited to), one full member (for their own workspace). Katalyz treats these as separate.

**Can a member be invited to a room as a Viewer?**
Yes. Org roles and room roles are independent. A member with org role "Pro" can be invited as a Viewer to a specific room, and they'll only be able to comment — not edit. See [Room roles vs. org roles](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/room-roles-vs-org-roles-15nqb7u/).

## Related articles
- [Room roles vs. org roles](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/room-roles-vs-org-roles-15nqb7u/)
- [Org roles: Admin, Pro, Basic](https://katalyz.crisp.help/en/article/org-roles-admin-pro-basic-jqfm8w/)
- [Inviting buyers](→ 02-rooms/08-sharing-access/04-inviting-buyers)